Candidates launch bids for open legislature seat

Republican Mark Henry announced his candidacy at a press conference on Feb. 22 at the Clinton County Government Center. Jerry Marking, a Democrat, declared in January.

Photo by Elizabeth Izzo

PLATTSBURGH | The special election to fill a vacant seat on the Clinton County Legislature has been set for March 27.

Candidates have officially launched their bids and are beating down the pavement.

Former Chazy Supervisor Mark Henry, a Republican, formally announced his candidacy last Thursday. His Democratic opponent, former Plattsburgh City Firefighter Jerry Marking, announced in January.

Both were endorsed by their respective parties in late January, Marking also securing the Working Families line.

This vacancy on the legislature was left by former legislator Samuel Dyer, who was sworn in as the new Beekmantown Supervisor in January.

Despite being on different sides of the aisle, the two candidates share many priorities.

At his announcement ceremony on Feb. 22, Henry said that the primary goals behind his candidacy revolve around job growth, accessible education opportunities and responsible, sustainable fiscal planning in an effort to curtail property tax increases.

Marking said as a legislator, he will fight to keep property taxes low.

Where the candidates differ is in the problems they see as the most dire in the region.

Clinton County faces a number of challenges, Henry said, from declining enrollment — Clinton Community College recently saw its lowest enrollment in recent memory, while SUNY Plattsburgh had its first increase in enrollment last fall after three years of declining numbers — to the ongoing opioid epidemic.

“I have the experience to be part of a solution that can help Chazy, Beekmantown and Clinton County remains a great place for families to live and work,” Henry said.

Marking underscored a number of problem areas, from access to affordable housing, to dwindling parks, to what he characterized as a lack of reliable high-speed internet in towns near the Canadian border.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $103.5 million in funding last month to provide broadband for underserved North Country communities during a visit to Plattsburgh.

The state has pledged up to $500 million in an effort to fully wire the state by the end of the year.

“There are a lot of areas along the border, even in West Chazy, that don’t have high-speed internet yet,” he said. “(Broadband) needs to be expanded. If you don’t have that, it slows (economic) growth down.

“I believe that the continued expansion of broadband in our area and the further development of the Clinton County Airport are key to economic development of our area and should be a top priority for our county.”

Marking pledged to support the ongoing expansion at Plattsburgh International Airport and to ensure that enplanements continue to grow.

Both candidates told The Sun that they agreed with the legislature’s decision to back SkyWest as the airport’s primary commercial airline under the federal Essential Air Service program, and both pledged to support that choice if elected.

“In order to be successful, we must think and act regionally and across party lines. We must share services and look for opportunities to combine our efforts,” Henry said. “People rightly expect their government officials to work together to get things done. I have a history of doing exactly that.”

CANDIDATE BIOS

Henry, a border patrol chief for three decades and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, served as supervisor of the Town of Chazy for four years. He was also a member of the Chazy School Board for 13 years, president of the Clinton County School Boards Association for two years and currently works as a business consultant.

He touted a number of accomplishments through the years, from keeping town and school budgets under the state tax cap to successfully obtaining grants to fund infrastructure upgrades.

Marking, a candidate for Chazy Town Supervisor last year, was a firefighter for the City of Plattsburgh for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2011. He was active in the International Association of Firefighters Local Union 2421, serving off an on as an officer, and as president between 1991-1996.

Marking currently works at North End Harley-Davidson/Lake City Choppers, volunteers with the CVPH Foundation and the Clinton County Christmas Bureau.

The special election is set for March 27. Three polling stations will be open throughout the towns of Beekmantown and Chazy.